Alexander Johnston (British Army officer)

Alexander Colin Johnston DSO & Bar MC (26 January 1884 – 27 December 1952) was an English first-class cricketer and an officer in the British Army. Johnston graduated from the Royal Military College at Sandhurst and entered into the Worcestershire Regiment. Following a three years secondment to the Northern Nigeria Regiment, he returned to England and received a further secondment to the Army Signal Service. He served throughout the First World War with distinction, commanding the 10th Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment and later the 126th Infantry Brigade; the latter command made him the youngest general in the British Army. He was wounded several times during the war and received awards for gallantry, most notably the Distinguished Service Order with medal bar and the Military Cross. His military service contiuned after the war, albeit in a non-combat role due his war injuries. Heavily involved in army education, Johnston retired in 1937, but came out of retirement during the Second World War to serve with the Political Intelligence Department of the Foreign Office.

As a first-class cricketer, Johnston was mostly associated with Hampshire, for whom he played cricket in the County Championship between 1902 and 1919. A prolific batsman before the First World War, he placed second in the national batting averages in 1912, behind C. B. Fry and narrowly missed out on playing Test cricket that year for England. Johnston played 108 first-class matches for Hampshire, scoring 5,442 runs and making ten centuries. He also played at first-class level for the Marylebone Cricket Club, Gentlemen, and the British Army cricket team.